THESIS: Trends in Higher Education Systems in International Spheres

Today on THESIS we will be discussing what the term "Arbeiterkinder" means in Germany with Martina Kübler, a Regional Coordinator at ArbeiterKind.de, a not-for-profit organization which works with universities and organizes volunteers to support first-generation students throughout Germany in navigating higher education while these students are in secondary school and, or, attending univ...

In today's episode we discuss first-in-family students in Australia with Professor Sarah O'Shea and Dr. Kylie Austin. Professor O'Shea has published a significant amount of research on first in family students in Australia and in Europe. Much of her work observes how first in family students are intersected by other categories and groupings that can lead to educational marginalisation;...

To start off this season focusing on First Generation or First in Family Students, we sit down today with La'Tonya Rease Miles. LT has focused on the first generation student experience in the United States both as a researcher and as a practitioner, and advises universities around the United States on supporting first generation students. She is currently the Director of University Partnershi...

The THESIS team is excited to announce that our next season will premier on June 2nd, 2023, covering the topic of first-generation, or first-in-family, students! We'll be speaking with researchers and practitioners about the history and context surrounding the first-generation student experience, different definitions used, the support networks of these students, the challenges they face and how t...

THESIS Interludes are episodes occurring in between seasons where we feature students in the process of developing their research projects in the field of higher education. Guests are asked what the research topic is, why they chose it, which methods they are using, what challenges they have faced, and what they have learned thus far in the process of their projects.  The podcast team is starting...

THESIS Interludes are episodes occurring in between seasons where we feature students in the process of developing their research projects in the field of higher education. Guests are asked what the research topic is, why they chose it, which methods they are using, what challenges they have faced, and what they have learned thus far in the process of their projects.  The podcast team is starting...

THESIS Interludes are episodes occurring in between seasons where we feature students in the process of developing their research projects in the field of higher education. Guests are asked what the research topic is, why they chose it, which methods they are using, what challenges they have faced, and what they have learned thus far in the process of their projects.  The podcast team is starting...

THESIS Interludes are episodes occurring in between seasons where we feature students in the process of developing their research projects in the field of higher education. Guests are asked what the research topic is, why they chose it, which methods they are using, what challenges they have faced, and what they have learned thus far in the process of their projects.  The podcast team is starting...

Today we feature a conversation with Dr. Will Brehm , Associate Professor at the University College London and host of the FreshEd Podcast , about the role of international influence in the Cambodian higher education system. Dr. Brehm received his bachelor and master degrees from Lehigh University in the United States and completed his doctorate in International and Comparative Education at the Un...

Today we are speaking with Oudai Tozan , who is originally from Syria and moved to the United Kingdom in 2015 where he is now a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge. The topic of our discussion today is the state of higher education in Syria before and after 2011 when the conflict started, which Oudai embeds in the context of Syrian higher education in the second half of the 20th century a...

Today’s episode features two guests, Dr. Hayfa Jafar and Dr. Emma Sabzalieva, who co-wrote a paper titled, “Faculty Experiences of Higher Education Internationalization in Post-conflict Iraq and Tajikistan.” Dr. Jafar is currently the Director of Institutional Effectiveness at the American University of Iraq - Sulaimani, and Dr. Sabzalieva is the Head of Research and Foresight at UNESCO’s Internat...

In this episode, our guest, Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, shares her perspective on the links between the conflicts of the 1990's in former Yugoslavia, the resulting political system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the impact of this political system and recent history on corruption in higher education.  Dr. Ambra Sabic-El-Rayess grew up in Bosnia and Herzegovina and survived the war and genocide...

Today we are joined by Dr. Fawziah Al-bakr to discuss the changing rules, roles, and opportunities within and beyond higher education for women in Saudi Arabia, especially in light of the Saudi Vision 2030 . The Vision has opened access for women to pursue degrees in different disciplines, and changes to gender segregation in the labor force mean significantly increased opportunities for women bot...

Our guest Today is Dr. Martin Maltais , professor of financing and education policies at the Université du Québec à Rimouski , where he used to be the head of the department of Education and of the School Manager's program. He is currently a member of 3 important groups of research in Québec : the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur la science et la technologie , the Laboratoire interdiscip...

In today’s episode, we discuss the topic of university autonomy and student protests in past and present Nicaragua. Our discussion is focused on intense, at times emotional topics, and is information sensitive. We ask our listeners to be mindful of where they share this episode, and to avoid sharing it to social media platforms, for the sake of the safety of our guest.

Today’s episode features a conversation about the development of Uzbekistan’s higher education system since a change in government in 2016, looking at the parallel trends of internationalization and democratization seen through the government’s response to student protests that occurred online in the summer of 2020. Our guest and expert on these issues is Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva, who is originally fr...

Today we discuss how higher education in Norway, particularly the University of Oslo, has responded to the invasion of Ukraine in terms of providing opportunities for Ukrainians to pursue higher education degrees in Norway. Our guest is Dr. Bjørn Stensaker , who is currently the Vice-Rector at the University of Oslo, serving a 4-year term until 2025. Dr. Stensaker is also a professor of higher edu...

Today, we have two guests. First, you will hear from Runar Kliff Berg, who is working as the international student coordinator in the faculty of social sciences at Nord university in Bodø, Norway. He is offering study guidance for all students in the Nordic area, and additionally serves as a student counselor for the circumpolar studies program. Runar is set to complete his Masters of Social Scien...

This introductory episode sets the stage for the theme of the first season of THESIS: the role of higher education in domestic and international politics. Our guest is Dr. Peter Maassen, professor of Higher Education Studies at the University of Oslo in Norway and Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. In this first episode, Dr. Maassen provides an overview of higher e...

What is THESIS about, and who are the creators of THESIS? This short trailer informs the audience of the podcast's goals and aspirations, introduces the researchers and producers, and provides a brief description of the podcast's first season to be aired in the Fall of 2022.